Paakhi

E I G H T

Shoshti; the sixth day of Durga Pujo began with more invites to the colony pandals than Aritro could keep count. He'd started his protests against visiting by telling his Mother he didn't know how he could leave the child behind. She'd agreed, not knowing what to say for an interjection, for she would much rather make up excuses for her son's absence than explain the presence of a new born child in her son's arms to her acquaintances.

But somewhere along mid-day, Aritro reasoned he didn't feel like spending such a festive day cooped up in his bedroom with a wailing child.

He'd only just made up his mind about heading out with the kid when the sound of the ringing doorbell resonated in the house. Creating a pillow fortress around the child on the bed, Aritro rushed down the flight of stairs to get the door.

"Why am I not surprised?" exhaled Mili, her eyes doing a quick once over of Aritro's T-shirt and pyjama clad figure.

He blushed a deep scarlet, reasoning, "I was just going to change."

Mili let out a small grin, walking past him and entering the house. Aritro sniffed at the wafts of lavender she exuded, he'd bought her this perfume on her twenty first birthday.

He wondered if she did these little things; like wearing a perfume he'd gifted her almost five years ago and thoughtfully keeping an ashtray in his bedroom before his arrival; to drop subtle hints for him, or acknowledging their vague, no-labels relationship was something she had grown to be comfortable with.

Either ways, he was beginning to realize that he hated the confusion and unspoken tension in the air. He'd intended on addressing just that in this trip, along with making up his mind finally, about Mili. But things had gotten complicated.

Mili sashayed up the stairs effortlessly in the pale pink sari she donned, her long hair had been carefully curled and covered three fourths of her bare back because of the deep back of her blouse. Aritro gulped to himself.

"What's that?" he asked casually, eying the paper bag she held onto. She stopped at the end of the flight of stairs, looking serious.

"You weren't going to take the kid to the pandal in her old clothes during Pujo, were you?"

Aritro smiled, "I mean, she's just a couple of days old. I don't think any of her belongings are old per se."

"Kipte!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at him before walking into his room. Aritro chuckled.

"I saw Kaku, Kakima and everyone else at the pandal, and then I gathered you were trying to avoid the interrogations of the aunties about the kid."

Aritro shrugged, "Bingo."

Mili looked up from the paper bag in her arm, "So what made you change your mind?"

He folded his arms before his chest, feeling much too defensive suddenly. Willing himself to be a man, and stop being so afraid of actually opening up to her, he explained,

"I have been looking forward to spending Durga Pujo here this year..."

Mili blinked, "Oh-"

"-with you."

The expression on her face changed so quickly and lasted for such a short span that he failed to catch it properly. But weirdly enough, it managed to cause a weird sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach.

Mili looked away, as she let out a breath and then directed her focus on the paper bag. She pulled out the tiniest frock Aritro had ever seen, along with an equally tiny hair band. Just like the colour of her sari, this frock too, was pink.